website/content/museum/gradiente-expert-plus.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
GRADIENTE Expert Plus	Computers	Home Computer	Brazil	1989	MSX Engine T7937A	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos hardware emulators links related oc_id source Expert Plus /media/museum/photos/gradiente_expert-plus_1.jpg /companies/gradiente GRADIENTE label value NAME Expert Plus label value MANUFACTURER Gradiente label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN Brazil label value YEAR 1989 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Microsoft Extended Basic (MSX Basic V1.0) + Demonstration software label value KEYBOARD Full-stroke keyboard with numeric keypad, 5 function keys and 4 arrow keys label value CPU MSX Engine T7937A (single chip gathering Z80, Video, I/O and audio functions) label value SPEED 3.58 MHz label value RAM 64 KB label value VRAM 16 KB label value ROM 32 KB BASIC/BIOS ( MSX BASIC V1.0) + ?? KB (demonstration software) label value TEXT MODES Mode 0 : 40 x 24\ Mode 1 : 32 x 24 label value GRAPHIC MODES Mode 2 : 256 x 192 with 16 colors (Hires mode)\ Mode 3 : 64 x 48 with 16 colors (Multi colour mode)\ 32 sprites label value COLORS 16 label value SOUND General Instruments AY-3-8910 Programmable Sound Generator\ 3 channels, 8 octaves label value I/O PORTS 2 controller ports, 2 cardridge slots, Tape interface (1200/2400 bauds), RGB video output, Composite video output, TV RF output, Centronics interface, Audio output label value OS MSX DOS label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in PSU label value PRICE Unknown photos hardware emulators links 788 title subtitle text image KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP /media/museum/photos/gradiente_expert-plus_closeup.jpg title subtitle text image REAR /media/museum/photos/gradiente_expert-plus_rear.jpg title subtitle text image EXPERT DD PLUS This model has a built-in floppy disk drive. /media/museum/photos/gradiente_expert-dd-plus_1.jpg title subtitle text image EXPERT DD PLUS - DISK DRIVE /media/museum/photos/gradiente_expert-dd-plus_closeup.jpg title subtitle text image THE BOX /media/museum/photos/gradiente_expertplus_box_1.jpg title subtitle text image NATIONAL CF-2131 16 KB RAM expansion /media/museum/hardware/national_cf2131_16k-cart.jpg title subtitle text image CASIO OR-216 - 16 KB RAM EXPANSION Box /media/museum/hardware/casio_or216_16kbramexpansion_box.jpg title subtitle text image PHILIPS RAM EXPANSION RAM expansion and LOGO language cartridges. Thanks to Daniele from Italy /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg8020_cartridges_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MEGA RAM DISK 256 from DDX (Brazil) This is the famous Megaram cartridge made in Brzail, used to play all Konami cracked Megarom games.6401999243 /media/museum/hardware/msx_megaram256-ddx_1.jpg title subtitle text image PANASONIC FS-IFA1 & FW-RSU1W Scanner/Printer interface The FS-IFA1 is the printer/scanner interface (left on the picture) and the FW-RSU1W is the handheld scanner (right on the picture). These expansions are for MSX2 systems. /media/museum/hardware/msx_fs-ifa1_fw-rsu1w.jpg title subtitle text image SONY HBI-232 RS232c cartridge Used to connect serial printers. /media/museum/hardware/sony_msx_rs232c-cartridge.jpg title subtitle text image YAMAHA MOUSE #1 This mouse was compatible with all MSX systems. It connects to the first Joystick port. Thanks to **www.zonadepruebas.com** /media/museum/hardware/yamaha_mouse_s2.jpg title subtitle text image YAMAHA MOUSE #2 Brand new! Thanks to **www.zonadepruebas.com** /media/museum/hardware/yamaha_mouse_s1.jpg title subtitle text image PHILIPS VW0020 80-col dot-matrix printer This printer was a rebadged version of the Seikosha GP-500.\ It was a 80-column, 50 CPS model with a 7x5 dot matrix head.\ Commodore and Atari used same hardware basis for their MPS-801 and 1029 printers. /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg8020_printervw0020_s1.jpg title subtitle text image SANYO PHC-DR II Side /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc-drii_side_1.jpg title subtitle text image SANYO PHC-DR II Front /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc-drii_front_1.jpg title subtitle text image SANYO DR-202 The ADSS system allowed to quickly search a specific program in a cassette tape and load it. Seach time for a C60 cassette was less than 1 minute. /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc28_dr202tapedrive_s1.jpg title subtitle text image NATIONAL RQ-8030 tape-recorder /media/museum/hardware/national_tape_rq8030.jpg title subtitle text image BIT-CORDER Cassete recorder dedicated to Hit-Bit MSX systems, though it could be used with any home computers. /media/museum/hardware/sony_hb201_bitcorder_1.jpg title url platform text fMSX for MS DOS Homepage http://www.komkon.org/~dekogel/fmsx.html MS DOS title url platform text BlueMSX http://www.bluemsx.com/ Windows Excellent free MSX emulator title url platform text BrMSX http://www.lsi.usp.br/~ricardo/brmsx.htm Windows A Bresilian MSX Emulator written in 100% assembler title url platform text CompuJunk's MSX Emulator http://ftp.castel.nl/msx/ Windows A MSX1 and MSX2 Emulator title url platform text RuMSX http://members.eunet.at/lexlechz/msx.html Windows A MSX Emulator for Win95 and Win NT + Direct X title url platform text fMSX for MAC OS Homepage http://www.emulation.net/msx/index.html Apple title url platform text fMSX official Homepage http://www.komkon.org/fms/fMSX Multiplatform fMSX is a portable MSX emulator ported on : Amiga OS, Mac OS, MS DOS, OS/2, Sony Playstation, Risc OS, Towns OS, Unix / X, Win95 / NT, X68K. title url platform text openMSX - The MSX emulator that aims for perfection. http://openmsx.sourceforge.net/ Multiplatform This new MSX emulator can reproduce, among many other MSX, MSX2and MSX2+ machines, both Panasonic Turbo-R models. Be sure to get the catapult frontend and the system roms from FUNET. title url text Baboo! http://www.baboo.net/baboo.shtml MSX dedicated Yahoo clone. Essential ! title url text FILE-HUNTER.COM http://www.file-hunter.com/ Excellent! All MSX emulators, sources and utilities! title url text FTP da MSXBr-L/MSX.Org.Br http://www.caetano.eng.br/msxsoft/ Excellent brasilian software archive title url text MOAI TECH http://www.moai-tech.com/ Spanish/English website with interesting content title url text MSX Hardware List http://www.faq.msxnet.org/hardware.html An impressive list of MSX hardware. The Bible !!! title url text MSX in Brasil http://www.alsoftware.com.br/adrianpage/index.php?page=msxbras Nice page dealing with MSX sold in Brazil title url text MSX Ressource Center http://www.msx.org/ Essential site ! title url text Museu da Computação e Informática - MCI http://www.mci.org.br/micro/outros/expert.html Nice detailed Gradiente Expert page (Brasilian) title url text Possi's Konami MSX Page http://dynamo.geol.msu.ru/MSX/ Nice page dedicated to all Konami MSX games (roms, scans, mids, etc.) title url text The MSX Games Box http://www.msxgamesbox.com All about MSX gaming (games, covers.etc.). More Fun, Less Mhz! title url text The MSX Museum BOX http://www.msxmuseumbox.com More than 190 different MSX models in pictures. title url text The ultimate MSX Faq http://www.faq.msxnet.org Here, you can find near all hardware pieces related to MSX. title url text Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com The MSX home computer system /museum/canon-v-10 /museum/canon-v-20 /museum/canon-v-8 /museum/casio-mx-10-mx-101 /museum/casio-pv-16 /museum/casio-pv-7 /museum/epcom-sharp-hotbit-hb-8000 /museum/fujitsu-fm-x /museum/general-paxon-pct-50 /museum/goldstar-fc-80-fc-200 /museum/gradiente-expert-xp-800 /museum/hitachi-ah-200 /museum/hitachi-h1-h1e /museum/hitachi-h2 /museum/mitsubishi-ml-f110-ml-f120 /museum/mitsubishi-ml-f48-ml-f80 /museum/mitsubishi-ml-fx1-fx2 /museum/mitsubishi-ml-g10 /museum/msx-1 /museum/national-cf-2000 /museum/national-cf-2700 /museum/national-cf-3000 /museum/national-fs-4000 /museum/national-fs-4500 /museum/olympia-phc-2 /museum/panasonic-cf-2700 /museum/philips-nms-801 /museum/philips-vg-8000-8010 /museum/philips-vg-8020 /museum/philips-vg-8235 /museum/pioneer-palcom-px-7 /museum/sanyo-mpc-100 /museum/sanyo-phc-28 /museum/sanyo-phc-30 /museum/sanyo-phc-33 /museum/sanyo-wavy-10-mpc-10 /museum/sanyo-wavy-23 /museum/sanyo-wavy-3 /museum/schneider-philips-mc-810 /museum/sony-hit-bit-10 /museum/sony-hit-bit-101 /museum/sony-hit-bit-20 /museum/sony-hit-bit-201 /museum/sony-hit-bit-501 /museum/sony-hit-bit-55 /museum/sony-hit-bit-75 /museum/spectravideo-svi-728 /museum/toshiba-hx-10-pasopia-iq /museum/toshiba-hx-20-hx-21-pasopia-iq /museum/toshiba-hx-52 /museum/victor-hc-6 /museum/yamaha-cx5 /museum/yamaha-cx5m-music-computer /museum/yamaha-sx-100 /museum/yamaha-yis-303 /museum/yamaha-yis-503-diabolik /museum/yashica-yc-64 /museum/yeno-dpc-64 /museum/yeno-mx-64 807 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230523025926/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=807 2023-05-23

The Gradiente Expert Plus is a Brazilian MSX 1 computer. It is composed of two parts: the main unit and the keyboard. Gradiente is a Brazilian consumer electronic products company. It is not suprising as the unit's design looks like a HI-FI system... Along with the Hot-Bit, the Experts were the only MSX systems available in Brazil. The first model (Expert XP-800) was in fact a clone of the National CF-3000.

It is a quite complete MSX 1 computer with two cartridge slots placed on the front panel and a numeric keypad. The system is powered by the MSX engine, a kind of super-chipset, gathering the CPU, video, input / output and audio functions.

The Expert can be used as videotext terminal (Telesp) with the TM-1 cartridge which includes a 1200 baud Modem, a serial interface and a phone socket...

The Expert Plus follows the Expert XP-800 (released in 1985) and the Expert GPC-1 (1986), which are quite similar. The Expert Plus was released (1989) at the same time as the Expert DD Plus which is the same system with a built-in floppy disk drive (720 KB).

Marcelo Ortega from Brazil adds:

The Expert Plus and DD Plus had a big incompatibility problem, that actually was not Gradiente's fault. Both machines used the MSX engine SMT chip, that made things easier to Gradiente assembly these computers, solving the bad contact problems of the socketed chips used in the previous Experts, and replacing three chips by one, but the MSX engine chip mapped the RAM to a internal secondary slot.

This was OK for the MSX standarts, but most brazilian software was written to run in Experts and Hotbits without secondary slots, and this resulted in many crashes.

The Expert users were also waiting for a MSX2 machine when the Plus was launched, and along with the common crashes, this made these machines not so popular.

The DDPlus uses a internal disk controller board that was quite similar to the external cartridge interfaces sold then. It also uses 16Kb for MSX DOS, resulting in 48Kb of ROM. The drive is very good (mine still works flawless !) but it was painfully slow.

We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.